[ SPECIAL EXHIBITION · 1988-1995 ]
Before PlayStation
PlayStation did not begin as Sony’s Nintendo killer. It began in the shadow of a Super Famicom CD-ROM project. A broken partnership, a Philips pivot, and internal Sony arguments turned an accessory plan into an independent console.
Super Famicom / SNES
View Super Famicom exhibit
PlayStation
View PlayStation exhibit
Sega Saturn
View Saturn exhibit
Nintendo wanted CD without losing control
Nintendo knew cartridges had limits and CD-ROM was becoming strategically important. But licensing, manufacturing, and platform control mattered more than capacity alone.
Sony wanted a platform
Sony had already built the SPC700 sound system for Super Famicom. Ken Kutaragi saw a larger path: not only components, but a Sony place in interactive entertainment.
The breakup created a rival
Nintendo’s Philips pivot could have ended the project. Instead, Sony chose to turn PlayStation into an independent console. Nintendo protected control and created its strongest challenger.
PlayStation was born from platform power, licensing money, and corporate pride as much as technology. Console wars often start in contracts before they reach store shelves.